Calling on my cell phone to anywhere in Italy is always an adventure.  Especially if I get through and the person on the other line doesn’t speak English. My Ital-Spanglish never ceases to get blank stares!  This morning as I attempted to contact the service number for our rental car to get the flat tire with no spare onboard repaired, I knew this would not be any different.  It wasn’t!  Sometimes I can dial a local number directly by using the local Italian area code and 7 digit number.  That worked in Sorrento and once in Bologna.  It didn’t work here in Tuscany.  After 9 different attempts using a variety of country code/area code/local number combinations, I finally reached someone at the Chiusi Europcar location. (There is only one in Chiusi)  The lady asked me my name and address, and my rental contract number.  I gave all that info to her.  The lady on the line told me, “I’m sorry sir, but you have not rented a car from us.”  Yes, I reassured her, I was in there two days ago and certainly did rent a car from you.  You even upgraded us because the original car I rented was not available.  “No, we have no record of you renting.”  Really? I asked.  Then this Mercedes with the flat tire is mine and I can just have it shipped home?  I eventually was transferred to a guy who was the actual clerk I filled out the paperwork for at the office.  He told me they did have the records but that I needed to call a different number that he gave to me.  OK, so after 7 additional attempts at the new number, a live person at the other end finally answered.  There would be someone coming to change the tire.  I reminded them that I could change the tire.  The problem was that there was no spare.  Oh, that’s right.  What is your address where you are located.  I told them.  What is the precise location of the vehicle, the two streets that intersect that location?   I don’t know but if you can hang on, the car is parked about 100 meters away and we can find out.  Certainly, they will wait I was told.

Upon hearing the need to obtain more information, Barb jumps up and takes off out the door.  Seriously, she looked like Florence Griffith Joyner as she sprinted off in the distance.  In record breaking time, Flo-Jo was back with the requested information.  Okay, he had the precise location on the map and the repair person will be here shortly.  Wonderful.  Doug and I walked on down about fifteen minutes later.  No repair truck, but we did see the Italian version of a Chevy Suburban vehicle that would haul around all of the Lopez lefties and their friends.  We just need to find out if Jessica wants us to have it shipped home to Camano, or if she and Jose will be coming over here to pick it up.

The repair truck arrived and without any discussion, (neither one of them spoke English), the woman and man with the truck proceeded to load the Mercedes on the back of their truck.  Fortunately for me (in order to avoid a stroke), Irene (our landlord) was there and after talking with them, she explained that they would be taking the car to Arezzo, a town about half an hour away.  We found out later today that the tire won’t be fixed and the ready until sometime tomorrow…in Arezzo.  It is up to us to find a way to get to the car.  Wow, I should have stuck with renting from Hertz instead of Europcar.  There is much better customer service at Hertz in my opinion.  So, assuming our car is actually ready by tomorrow, and also assuming we can find a way to get there to pick it up, we will be back in business.  No matter how silly it might seem that it would take an entire 24 hours or more to simply change a tire, I have come to grips with our vehicle situation here in Italy.  I had to edit this post to include a nod to the Stroke Whisperer.  This Italian gem broke out a guitar and began singing a ballad of the flat tire in Italy.  It was an amazing rendition and it again brought that perspective that can sometimes escape me.

I am thankful we have a wonderful roof over our heads and there is no actual need to use a vehicle in the meantime.  It is after 5:30 pm here in Italy now and the four of us are staying in tonight.  We will be cooking spaghetti carbonara.  Mmm, mmm, good!